


Til Death Do Us Part

by orphan_account



Category: Donnie Wahlberg - Fandom, Donnie and Amanda - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 09:32:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8097037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: All good things.....must move into eternityFiction. Not my characters. I make no money from this.





	

"The days, they go by slowly, but the years, in the blink of an eye  
You're still my one and only, til the very day I die.."

The old song played, one of the many they'd written together years ago. Amanda sighed. They were so tired lately - but after nearly forty years together, and nearly ninety years apiece on this earth, that was to be expected.

They'd traveled the world together - every place she'd ever wanted to see, some of them more than once. They'd written songs together, and she'd even had a small role in a few of his films. Every available inch of wall-space was covered with photographs - freeze-frames of the many adventures they'd shared. Mixed in with their couple photos were photos of their children - the kids from previous relationships, as well as the twin girls they'd had and raised together. All of those children were now grown, living lives of their own, having children of their own. In fact, it was almost time for Donnie and Amanda to become great grandparents, as the youngest granddaughter's baby was due any day now.

Lately, the smallest things eluded their memories: food left on the stove for too long; a phone ringing unanswered; a misplaced pair of glasses. Gone were his movie star looks and her glitter and glamour, but they each still saw the other as they had once been: beautiful and full of life. The distant past remained clear in their minds, but the recent past - and the future - were vague and unsettled for them.

After much talk, it was agreed that they would move their things to a downstairs bedroom. Stairs had become difficult and dangerous, but Amanda couldn't help wondering whether she'd ever see upstairs again.

Things went downhill just before Christmas, with Amanda, then Donnie, taking ill. There was no fever, no contagious symptoms; their bodies were simply worn out from years of working and traveling and fighting and loving. They drifted in and out of consciousness for a few days, tended to by several of the kids. Donnie accidentally called one of the twins 'Amanda'; she looked so much like a younger version of her mum..

One night, Amanda woke to the sound of her husband crying softly.

"What's wrong?" 

"I had a lovely dream. We were walking on the beach - the one where we had the first renewal of our vows. The sun was warm; the water was blue.."

Amanda smiled. "Were the kids and grandkids all there?" 

He paused. "No. It was just us. Their love was there, but they were.. here. They were living their own lives, as it should be." 

"Tell me more."

Donnie indulged her. "You had flowers in your hair; I could smell them every time the breeze washed over us. You looked so beautiful. You were glowing."

She reached for his hand in the darkness. "The sand was so soft," she whispered. Donnie agreed.

"It was like we were the only two people in the world. Like the universe was just born, and it was all for us."

When their eldest daughter overheard the conversation, she knew it wouldn't be long.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christmas had come, bringing with it the entire family, every child and grandchild. 

There was one more guest to arrive: the first great-grandchild.

The labor-pains began, and they were coming thick and fast. There was no time to move to a hospital; this baby was ready, and all anyone could do was catch.

Donnie and Amanda heard their grandson's first cry.

"Nana! Granddad! He's here!" One of the grandchildren carried him in. The midwife had been called, arriving in time to tend to the mum after the birth. Everyone else was busy cleaning things up, but this granddaughter had slipped away to show Nan and Grands the new baby.

"His name is Donald - after you, Grands," she said. The baby did have his nose, his shade of hair - but his sleepy eyes were closed, so it was impossible to say whether those matched his namesake.

"Perfect," Donnie sighed. "He's perfect."

"Hello, little one," Amanda said, barely above a whisper.

Little Donald began to fuss, and was taken to his mum for a feed.

"Donald.."

He seemed faraway, though he lay beside her, their bodies touching.

"Yes, my love?"

"Do you think it'll be tonight? While they're all busy with the baby?"

Donnie sighed. "Are you ready?"

She thought of all of them in the other room, all the love under one roof. "I think so. They will be all right without us, won't they?"

"Of course they will," he assured her. "They'll have each other."

That was true. "And memories."

Photo albums bursting with memories. Diaries, letters, home movies.. 

"Hold my hand."

She placed her wrinkled hand in his, feeling the flutter of a squeeze. They were so weak now.

"I don't know how," she said, suddenly afraid.

"It will be just like going to sleep. Let go; don't fight it."

Amanda willed her body to relax. Little by little, it did, and she began to drift off. 

"The beach," he murmured.

"OUR beach," she echoed. Four eyes gently closed for the final time. 

The water was pleasantly cool compared to the warmth of the white sands. The clouds created breaks in the otherwise endless blue sky as the sun began to set.  
The blue gave way to oranges, pinks and purples, finally becoming the inky blue-black of night. The two of them held hands as they watched the heavens fill with stars.

When they opened their eyes, it had become real. Their bodies were young and healthy once more, and Donnie swooped her up into his arms, spinning in the shallow water, moonbeams highlighting her hair and face. The wrinkles, the aches and pains, the signs of the years - all were gone. Amanda laughed; how had she ever been so silly as to fear this?

"Why, it isn't like losing anything at all. It's like.. like.." She couldn't think of the words.

"Starting over?" He smiled at her as she lifted her face for a kiss.

"Exactly."

They looked up and down the beach, not seeing another soul for miles. There was, however, a light in the distance, and it intrigued them. It seemed welcoming, somehow, as though it had been left on just for them. The faint sound of music wafted to them on the night breeze, and Amanda smiled up at her love.

"Sounds like there's a party going on. Think it's for us?"

"If it isn't, it will be in a minute. Race you there!"

He placed her down, not entirely gently, and sprinted towards the source of the light. "Hey! Cheeky!"

Amanda laughed, chasing after him. It didn't matter who won the race; she'd catch up to him eventually, and they'd start a new game, a new contest, a new life.

They had forever, after all - an endless sea of moments just like this.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------

One of the grown children found them in the morning. They looked as though they'd fallen asleep, hand in hand, though it was more than sleep. There were tears, of course; but, beneath it all, there ran a thread of calm, of.. rightness about it. The funeral was a quiet affair, the falling snow creating a reverent hush as the caskets were lowered side by side. The wakes was raucous, with plenty of Irish spirit, a celebration of the life they'd shared and lived right to the last drop.

In the first week of the New Year, the family gathered at the graveside once again. It made no sense, but, of course, it did: The vase of roses they'd placed on the double grave was still as red and lovely as the day they'd left it there.

"Would you believe it?"

"In the dead of winter!" 

Things grew quiet for a moment.

One of the twins spoke. "They wanted to go at the same time. It's almost.. romantic. Mum and Dad always were so sappy with things."

Her sister agreed. "True. People talked a lot of rubbish about them, but they really did mean it, you know. They were serious about it."

"What's that?"

She knelt down, brushing fresh-fallen snow from the top of the headstone bearing both of their names, a monument to one of the greatest love stories the world had ever been privileged to know. Her fingers traced the words engraved below the names, loving them and believing them with all her heart and soul.

"'Love eternal.'"


End file.
